


Gentle Touch, A

by westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-09-11
Updated: 2008-09-11
Packaged: 2019-05-30 10:48:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15095123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist/pseuds/westwingfanfictioncentral_archivist
Summary: Donna has an accident and Josh is there to tend to her wounds.





	Gentle Touch, A

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

Timeline: Anytime from S2 through to S5

Disclaimers: Characters remain property of Sorkin,Wells etc but if they’re not going to take them out and play with them, then I will

Rating: G

Feedback: Makes my day!

 

“Something’s wrong with Donna,”

Four words guaranteed to make Josh move fast. Maybe the words “Mike Piazza’s entered the building” might make him move as fast. Nah, who was he kidding? Josh raced out of his office with Carol trying to keep up. He skidded to a halt in front of Donna’s desk trying to appear as though he hadn’t just broken the land speed record to get to her!

“How ya doing?” he asked casually. He didn’t want to seem as though the idea of Donna in some kind of trouble or distress would make him appear hysterical!

Donna looked up at him, her eyes filling with tears.

“It hurts,” she whimpered.

Josh’s heart stopped. What hurt? If she was in pain, he was in pain. Ok, that sounded way too strange for a relationship between a boss and his assistant but they’d never just been that. Everyone knew their relationship went way beyond those boundaries.

“Are you injured? Sick? For the love of God, what’s wrong?” Josh’s voice was beginning to veer into panic. His eyes swept over her and he couldn’t see any obvious sign of her pain, although she did look a little pale.

“I fell down,” she sniffled. Josh curbed the smile he felt twitching at his lips. She sounded like a small child.

Josh knelt down alongside her chair and gently stroked her head. 

“Tell me what happened,” he asked.

Donna was embarrassed about her spill but secretly loved seeing this side to Josh. She was going to enjoy it as long as it lasted. Besides, it made her feel better.

“I went out at lunch and tripped on the sidewalk”, she muttered.

“What did you trip on? Did you hit your head?

Donna smiled. “No, I didn’t hit my head but look at my hands and knees.”

“You skinned your hands and knees? What are you 5 years old and back on the school playground?” he couldn’t help but tease her. She looked so young and forlorn.

She gave him a withering look. Josh reached for her hands and turned them over to see the palms. He could see some nasty cuts and grazes. Her hands must really hurt! He looked down to see two bloody knees looking at him. Josh and blood were two words that didn’t sit comfortably together. But this was Donna and she needed him so, after taking a deep steadying breath, he continued.

“Ok, we need to get you cleaned up. Carol, can you bring the first aid kit please?”

“Should I call for Dr Bartlett?” Carol asked.

“For scrapes and grazes? I don’t think so!”

“You’re going to do this?” Carol sounded concerned.

“I’m going to do this,” Josh replied emphatically

Carol thought this was something that needed to be seen to be believed! She brought the kit and a dish of water and Josh went to work. He soaked a cotton ball in water and began to gently clean the wounds. Donna hissed and pulled away her hand “That stings!” she cried.

“I know it does baby, but I’ve got to get the dirt out. I need you to be brave.”

Donna looked at Carol in shock. Had Josh just called her “baby?” It certainly took her mind off the pain!

He continued cleaning the wounds on her hands and her knees. When he was satisfied they were clean, he applied some antiseptic and bandaids.

“It still hurts,” Donna whimpered. “My hands feel as though they’re on fire. I landed on them pretty hard to break my fall.”

“Carol, can you get some ice from the mess? That will sooth her hands and I think she should ice her knees too. She’s going to have some pretty impressive bruises!”

Carol returned quickly and soon Donna was lying on CJ’s sofa, icepacks on both knees and one between both palms. CJ stood to the side, watching in amazement. Who would have thought Josh had it in him? Of course, where Donna was concerned, he always had it in him!

Josh returned to his office, leaving Donna to lie down for awhile. After an hour or so, CJ entered his office. 

“Have you seen what Donna is doing?”

“No.”

“Go look, idiot boy! She is trying to work and not having much luck!”

Josh observed Donna. She was making small noises of discomfort as she attempted to use her computer.

“Donna, take it easy. You are obviously in pain,” he spoke gently.

She turned to him, eyes again filling with tears. 

“It hurts too much to type with both hands, I can’t grip the mouse and my body is reminding me that falling over at my age is not as easy as it was when I was 5 years old!”

Josh could tell she was on the brink of losing it.

“C’mon. I’m taking you home. Your work here is done for today.”

Donna felt so sad and sorry for herself she didn’t argue. Besides, Josh was being so sweet with her and she really liked it!

He helped her into his car and Donna quickly realised they were heading to his home, not hers. She looked at him questioningly.

“Why are we…?

“Going to my place?”

”Yeah”

“Well I have a bathtub and …”

“My aching muscles are going to appreciate a hot bath.”

“I thought so,”

The afternoon passed with Josh fussing over Donna and she was amazed at his attentiveness. He brought her cups of tea and let her switch the TV from CNN to some girly movie on another channel. But he didn’t mind. It made her smile and took her mind of her still smarting hands and knees. But as the movie came to an end he heard her wince yet again. He looked up to see her dozing. She had slid down on the sofa so she was lying on her side. One knee had made contact with the cushion and it rubbed against her sensitive skin. He kneeled down beside her and gently awoke her with a kiss to the forehead. He probably shouldn’t have done that but he didn’t care. His mother used to do that to him as a child when he felt sick and miserable and it always made him feel good. He sat her up and in her half awake state, she snuggled right down onto his chest. Josh put his arm around her to support her. As she drifted back to sleep he heard her say “Thank you for looking after me. Someday you’re gonna make an amazing father.”

Her words went right to his heart. “I hope so Donnatella but I’ll need you there to keep me in line,” he whispered.

“Hmm,” came the sleepy response. “I wouldn’t expect anything less.”


End file.
